Bessie Delany
Encyclopedia
Annie Elizabeth "Bessie" Delany (3 September 1891 - 25 September 1995) was an American dentist
and civil rights pioneer who was the subject, along with her sister Sadie, of the New York Times bestselling oral history, Having Our Say, written by journalist Amy Hill Hearth. Delany earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from Columbia University in 1923. She was the second Black woman licensed to practice dentistry in New York State, and became famous, with the publication of the book, at the age of 101.
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Bessie Delany was born and raised on the campus of St. Augustine's School (now College) in Raleigh, N.C., where her father was the Vice-Principal and her mother, a teacher and administrator. Delany was a 1911 graduate of the school. In 1918, she followed her sister to New York City, enrolling at Columbia University, from which she earned her dental degree in 1923. Of 170 students in her graduating class, she was the only Black female. She shared a dental office with her brother, Dr. H.B. Delany Jr., at 2305 Seventh Avenue, and later, 2303 Seventh Avenue, in Harlem. She participated in many protests and marches, and encouraged civil rights organizers to meet at her and her brother's office.
, where she had long resided. She is interred at Mount Hope Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina
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In 1994, the sisters and Hearth published The Delany Sisters' Book of Everyday Wisdom, a follow up to Having Our Say. After Bessie's death, Sadie Delany and Hearth created a third book, On my Own at 107; Reflections on Life Without Bessie.
Her siblings were:
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
and civil rights pioneer who was the subject, along with her sister Sadie, of the New York Times bestselling oral history, Having Our Say, written by journalist Amy Hill Hearth. Delany earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from Columbia University in 1923. She was the second Black woman licensed to practice dentistry in New York State, and became famous, with the publication of the book, at the age of 101.
Biography
Delany was the third of ten children born to the Rev. Henry Beard Delany (1858–1928), the first Black person elected Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, and Nanny Logan Delany (1861–1956), an educator. H.B. Delany was born into slavery in St. Mary's, Georgia. Nanny Logan Delany was born in a community then known as Yak, Virginia, seven miles from DanvilleDanville, Virginia
Danville is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. It was the last capital of the Confederate States of America. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Danville with Pittsylvania county for...
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Bessie Delany was born and raised on the campus of St. Augustine's School (now College) in Raleigh, N.C., where her father was the Vice-Principal and her mother, a teacher and administrator. Delany was a 1911 graduate of the school. In 1918, she followed her sister to New York City, enrolling at Columbia University, from which she earned her dental degree in 1923. Of 170 students in her graduating class, she was the only Black female. She shared a dental office with her brother, Dr. H.B. Delany Jr., at 2305 Seventh Avenue, and later, 2303 Seventh Avenue, in Harlem. She participated in many protests and marches, and encouraged civil rights organizers to meet at her and her brother's office.
Death
Delany died at the age of 104 in Mount Vernon, New YorkMount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
, where she had long resided. She is interred at Mount Hope Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
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The Delany Sisters
In 1991, Delany and her sister Sadie were interviewed by journalist Amy Hill Hearth, who wrote a feature story about them for The New York Times. A New York book publisher read Hearth's newspaper story and asked her to write a full-length book on the sisters. Hearth and the sisters worked closely for two years to create the book, Having our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years, which dealt with the trials and tribulations the sisters had faced during their century of life. The book was on The New York Times bestseller lists for 105 weeks. It spawned a Broadway play in 1995 and a television film in 1999. Both the play and film adaptations were produced by Judith R. James and Dr. Camille O. Cosby.In 1994, the sisters and Hearth published The Delany Sisters' Book of Everyday Wisdom, a follow up to Having Our Say. After Bessie's death, Sadie Delany and Hearth created a third book, On my Own at 107; Reflections on Life Without Bessie.
Her siblings were:
- Lemuel Thackara Delany (1887–1956)
- Sarah Louise ("Sadie") Delany (1889–1999)
- Julia Emery Delany (1893–1974)
- Henry Delany, Jr. (1895–1991)
- Lucius Delany (1897–1969)
- William Manross Delany (1899–1955)
- Hubert Thomas Delan (1901–1990)
- Laura Edith Delany (1903–1993)
- Samuel Ray Delany (1906–1960)